Schools Guide 2016

Strathallan

Last year, Strathallan decided to introduce girls’ football and ended up becoming the second-best school in Scotland. That’s kind of the way they do things at this bustling Perthshire co-ed, which has 46 Scottish, British or European winning teams or individuals across 12 different sports, including rugby, hockey, canoeing, tennis and equestrianism. It helps that the facilities are out of this world: there’s a purpose-built canoe slalom course, for example, and a clay-pigeon-shooting centre. Strath’s winning mentality extends to the classroom: last year, pupils brought home a treasure trove of Maths Challenge medals (20 golds) and LAMDA distinctions (53 in total). They managed to fit in their A-levels too, which hit a solid 77 per cent A*–B. Sport may be Strath’s ace but we’d like to point out that the choir is very strong and pupils sing in the National Youth Choir and Scottish Opera Connect. Head Bruce Thompson – ‘good-humoured and informative’, says a mother – describes the diverse, multitalented school as ‘a vibrant community’. Day and boarding pupils are well integrated: day pupils are allocated to a boarding house and stay late to do activities like beekeeping or chess. Glenbrae, the new girls’ house, has underfloor heating and its own resident black Labrador. The school’s taxidermy bear is the only member of school who sits still – he’s been nailed to the floor because of too much roving around the campus.